PowerDVD 12, for instance, takes on media playback duties, and of course can handle all the regular audio and video files, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs. But that's just the start. It can also play 3D videos, photos and Blu-ray movies (as well as converting 2D Blu-ray discs to 3D). A new smart media library and DLNA support helps the program manage and play back content from across your network, and this new edition even has integrated browsing for YouTube, Facebook and Flickr.

PowerDirector 10 is on hand to cater for your video editing requirements. The program can handle anything from creating instant photo slideshows to professional movies, and enhancements this time include smarter, much faster (up to 380%) rendering, MKV and FLV import, new 3D video support, and some spectacularly clever paint animation effects.

Worried about Media Management? The MediaShow 6 thumbnail browser now supports 3D files and many RAW formats, offers a Calendar view for speedy access to your images or provides new filter options for ultra-fast searching.

CyberLink haven't cut a single corner, then, and unsurprisingly this does mean that Media Suite 10 Ultra comes with a fairly chunky price tag.

The suite is still notably cheaper than buying the packages individually, though. And if you'd like to save a little more cash yourself, then you could opt for Media Suite 10 Pro, instead. It's essentially the same package, with the Blu-ray and 3D features omitted, along with a few other high-end extras (so its PowerDVD can handle Dolby Digital/ Digital Plus/ DTS, but not Dolby True-HD/ DTS-HD, for instance). And yet the Pro price is notably lower, $99.95 vs $129.95: if your media needs are simple then it could be a very good deal.

Please note that, due to file sizes, the download here is for the official CyberLink Media Suite 10 downloader which will then download the 1.5GB Media Suite trial from the CyberLink server.

Verdict

A superb media suite, well-designed, powerful and easy-to-use. It's great value for money, too, considering just how much functionality there is here.